Cycle Commuters

ziggy© said:
With the current fuel prices I have seriously been thinking about cycling to work which is about 19 miles away. Just yesterday i was looking on Ebay for a bike i could use.

The only thing that is making me a bit reluctant is this:

http://www.symptomfind.com/health/cycling-and-erectile-dysfunction/

I have read that cycling can cause problems in the areas of fertility or even erectile dysfunction. This is the only reason i am slightly worried. I would not have worried if it was only 5 miles each way but 20 miles is slightly worrying.

Try a few saddles, get one that properly fits your backside and it's nothing to worry about. The aim is to have all your weight through your sit bones and none on the soft tissue running down the middle where nerves and blood vessels go. Good bike shops will have a little memory foam cushion pad you can sit on and measure the indentations your sit bones make to help narrow down the size of saddles. Google Selle Italia Flow to see some saddles with a central cutout to remove pressure from the regions you don't want it. Most brands have their own equivalent.
 
ziggy©;4729043 said:
With the current fuel prices I have seriously been thinking about cycling to work which is about 19 miles away. Just yesterday i was looking on Ebay for a bike i could use.

The only thing that is making me a bit reluctant is this:

http://www.symptomfind.com/health/cycling-and-erectile-dysfunction/

I have read that cycling can cause problems in the areas of fertility or even erectile dysfunction. This is the only reason i am slightly worried. I would not have worried if it was only 5 miles each way but 20 miles is slightly worrying.

38 miles per day is a lot to start with if you do not already cycle - It might be worth doing some "weekend" rides first. I cycle commute about 3 miles each way but 19 sounds a bit daunting unless I was used to that distance.
 
Thats my sock said:
I cycle to work when the weathers decent, along cycle paths and country lanes. When I 1st started cycling it was more of a chore... Or down to laziness, now I enjoy it and feeling a lot fitter. My work has a lot of secure cycle storage and they do the cycle to work scheme every year.
Can anyone recommend some good breathable lightweight waterproofs ?

I have tried cheaper waterproofs through my years and brought some Altura cycling waterproofs last year, I paid around £60 but they are by far the best, I have used them in snow, rain and hail and they are breathable and keep me dry! I would recommend getting these if you are wanting to cycle in all weathers if you need some just for a light shower you could get away with something cheaper. I also brought some overshoes to go over trainers and stop the rain going from my waterproofs into my shoes, they are worth the £30 and you only have to buy once!
 
Try a few saddles, get one that properly fits your backside and it's nothing to worry about. The aim is to have all your weight through your sit bones and none on the soft tissue running down the middle where nerves and blood vessels go. Good bike shops will have a little memory foam cushion pad you can sit on and measure the indentations your sit bones make to help narrow down the size of saddles. Google Selle Italia Flow to see some saddles with a central cutout to remove pressure from the regions you don't want it. Most brands have their own equivalent.

This is what i am planning to do. Hopefully i will find one that is comfortable.
 
38 miles per day is a lot to start with if you do not already cycle - It might be worth doing some "weekend" rides first. I cycle commute about 3 miles each way but 19 sounds a bit daunting unless I was used to that distance.

I used to cycle when i was going to the gym but that was about 2 years ago :)
 
ziggy©;4737312 said:
This is what i am planning to do. Hopefully i will find one that is comfortable.

I'm in the process of finding the right saddle for my new road bike. Unfortunately it takes at least an hour sat on each one to start experiencing any discomfort so it's not like you can just browse in a shop.

I'm currently buying 2nd hand, well worn saddles that I can sell on hopefully without losing any money and then I'll buy a new one when I find one that's right for me.
 
I gave up cycling because of so many near death experiences (even being carefull) most drivers hate all cyclists and think they have the right to murder them from my experience

I'm not particularly worried about being "hated" by some drivers as to "hate" me they need to be aware of my presence.

My real fear is the motorist who is simply not aware of me at all.
 
Today was raining a lot and despite wearing my "waterproofs" I was almost as wet under them as if I hadn't been wearing them! I guess their waterproof days are over (the only dry part of me was my feet as I tied Tesco bags over my shoes!).

So any suggestions for good waterproofs would be appreciated please!
 
Biggest tip: never ever ever undertake on the left hand side where there's a left hand turn or undertake a bus to the left. The number of cyclists I've seen have to slam on the brakes because they've missed a car indicating left or been squeezed against a curb by a bus pulling into a bus stop is just stupid!

2nd biggest tip: Wet leaves on the ground, particularly in autumn, are LETHAL!

the bit highlighted in bold, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA A CAR DRIVER INDICATING,,,, oh you crack me up that's hilarious that one :bonk:

Others are all very much true though.

Bad weather, you can get arm/leg warmers, I prefer 3/4 length shorts (stop below the knee's), the obvious rain mack which you can get some really snug fitting ones often lined, would also recommend going for the high vis yellow, drivers still wont see you but you have a better time in court when they knock you off.

Oversocks (or over shoes) the neoprene ones are a must in winter.

You can also get caps for under your helmet, I actually wear them most times of year as it dulls the wind noise out and I can actually hear car noise better.
Or anyone cussing me for daring to be on the empty back road same time as them increasing their journey time by 10 seconds :D

TYRES!!!! bought a set of kevlar lined ones, god in wet weather (or on any slightly wet/oily surface) they are LETHAL! so try and get winter ones, softest rubber possible and should give you a fighting chance should you start sliding.

you can get propper bike glasses, with swappable lenses, amber tinted are surprisingly good in bad weather for helping you spot dangers.

And, all gear aside, you have to make yourself known on the road, nothing in law says you have to ride in the gutter so get out of it (and save on punctures), also cars swerve for pot holes, and so should you.

Other then that, be safe! lost some good people over the years to ******s in cars :'(
 
I did a combination of a 10 mile drive then an 8 mile cycle along the guided busway into Cambridge.

My tip would be to get a decent front light. I got a magicshine 900 lumen one for about £80 and it was worth every penny to be able to see any obstructions on an otherwise unlit path....
 
Was out this morning on my weekly club run and there were several drivers who really pushed their luck.
The funniest one beeped their horn all the way past the 8 pairs of riders. It was a 30 zone and we were pushing 25mph. About a mile down the road he was stopped at lights. He really looked sheepish as his car was surrounded by 16 cyclists!
On the whole though I've not had any really bad cyclist vs car driver issues.
 
BarryDawsib said:
the bit highlighted in bold, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA A CAR DRIVER INDICATING,,,, oh you crack me up that's hilarious that one :bonk:


It's nearly as good as the idea that cyclists take any notice of them anyway
 
So any suggestions for good waterproofs would be appreciated please!


If its raining that much take a change of clothes and just get wet. If I wrap up too much I sweat and end up just as wet.
 
If its raining that much take a change of clothes and just get wet. If I wrap up too much I sweat and end up just as wet.

I get changed at work anyway, it just means that I need to take a change of clothes to cycle home in as there's no where to dry them at work and no way I'm putting on soaking clothes back on!
A big problem I have is footwear in the wet, if it's raining badly I sometimes where sandals which will almost have dried by the time I come to ride home - but they're not great for cycling in. Overshoes would work, but only if I wear waterproofs of water will just get in the top :shrug:
 
I do forty miles a week, as it's four miles each way. Then there's the amount of cycling I do other than that just to get around...

Cycling about 7 miles AND a train journey to get to a meetup in St Albans!
 
Cool job! How many miles a day do you do?

I havent a clue to be honest. I bought one of them fancy smart phones with a GPS but the battery dies out to fast. I would guess between 10 and 20 depending on the day.
 
I get changed at work anyway, it just means that I need to take a change of clothes to cycle home in as there's no where to dry them at work and no way I'm putting on soaking clothes back on!
A big problem I have is footwear in the wet, if it's raining badly I sometimes where sandals which will almost have dried by the time I come to ride home - but they're not great for cycling in. Overshoes would work, but only if I wear waterproofs of water will just get in the top :shrug:

I usually use my normal cycling gear for work and they don't take long to air dry, I have clip in pedals on all my bikes so I use shoe covers as the shoes take ages to dry. If it's raining that badly I just use the car :D but my wife and I work at the same place so when our shift patterns coincide I have to drive anyway. I just need to find a decent set of road mud guards.
 
How about tyres then everybody? I'm currently running Schwalbe Marathon Cross but was thinking of changing to the straight Marathons as I think they are lighter and have a lower rolling resistance. Any views?
It's amazing how doing 350miles a month has increased my maintenance requirements (brakes seem to need adjusting all the time) and parts are wearing a lot quicker too!
 
TopBanana said:
How about tyres then everybody? I'm currently running Schwalbe Marathon Cross but was thinking of changing to the straight Marathons as I think they are lighter and have a lower rolling resistance. Any views?
It's amazing how doing 350miles a month has increased my maintenance requirements (brakes seem to need adjusting all the time) and parts are wearing a lot quicker too!

Continental GP4000 tends to be the most popular on bike forums. Light, durable and reasonable in the wet.

23mm or 25mm? That's another question! I'm currently riding 23 because they came with my bike but I've read a lot to say not only are 25s more comfortable they also roll better in imperfect surfaces such as the Tarmac around me so I may give them a try next.
 
That looks like a bit of an extreme tyre to me. I'm on a hybrid with 35mm at the moment, whereas they look more like road bike tyres which scare me how small they are!
 
TopBanana said:
That looks like a bit of an extreme tyre to me. I'm on a hybrid with 35mm at the moment, whereas they look more like road bike tyres which scare me how small they are!

Ah ok, hadn't thought you might be one a hybrid!
 
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